I am a “Little Monster” — that is, a Lady Gaga fan. That being said, she got on my nerves BIG TIME by doing the Jo Calderone alter ego ALL NIGHT at the 2011 MTV VMAs (not to mention “Jo” stealing my girl BRITNEY’s spotlight during her lifetime achievement award….)

Anyway, despite my slight annoyance at this obnoxious character (please stop, Gaga. Please…) this song almost makes up for it! It’s pretty sweet. Naturally, she did it for a handful of cities across the country, BUT, it’s pretty cool that she chose Pittsburgh as one of them. According to the 96.1 KISS fm Freak Show page, Gaga is a fan of Pittsburgh because 96.1 KISS has broke a few of her singles — and, they were one of the few stations that she called in to when she dropped this one.

In an early November interview with our very own 96.1 KISS fm “Morning Freak Show,” President Bill Clinton told Mikey & Big Bob that he was excited for rapper Lil’ Wayne’s release from jail, and that he “believes in” the hip hop artist.

Clinton claims that in the past, he “underestimated the intelligence” of rap artists until daughter Chelsea introduced him to the music. He hopes that Lil’ Wayne will turn his life around.

The story made national and even international news, being written and talked about on ABC News, CNN Headline News, MTV.com, and even a publication in India.

I think that Mikey and Bob are the only guys that could get such a gem out of this former president. Way to go, boys! Putting Pittsburgh on the map, once again.

I’d like to sum up a couple of October’s events before pressing on with new blog posts from here on out.

First off – Fashion Week. Yes, yes – you heard and saw some of it but I unfortunately only posted on half of the week’s events. So sorry! I must say that it was a wonderful event and I can’t wait to see many more Pittsburgh Fashion Weeks to come in the future. The Lana Neumeyer event provided a tropical and exotic boast to the week’s events – it was rife with fun and flavor, Crazy Hot Clothes definitely came to impress, Laurie B. Allen and Katie Wolfrum brought the pretty and the chic, Brian David had some to-die-for looks (including an asymmetrical white fedora that I was absolutely wild about!) … and what gal doesn’t love Pandora? Granted, I missed the Sunday luncheon (I love fashion but not enough to miss a Steelers game) and also the eyewear trunk show and the Susan B. Komen benefit show, but what I saw of Pittsburgh Fashion Week was awesome. The models on Saturday were especially impressive, many of which were brought to Pittsburgh via Brandon Campbell and Little Rock Fashion Week – and Kristen Varoli of Contempo Artistries did an amazing job of styling hair and makeup for many of the shows.

the Brian David show - I want this hat!

Pittsburgh Fashion Week

Glitzburgh @ Fashion Week

Won this fab Sabika necklace at PFW - yay!

Also brought to us the first week of October here in Pittsburgh was the Military Writers’ Society of America Annual Conference, held at the Wyndham Pittsburgh University Place. The MWSA is an association of 800+ authors, poets, and artists focused on the military. Whether veterans, active duty military, military families/spouses, or writers who just have an affinity for the military, they’ve all chosen to honor our military through their art and their writings. The conference featured an array of guest speakers, workshops, and more, dedicated to networking and skill building. (I spoke on the social media panel – see more, here.) It was an honor and privilege to meet the unique and diverse group of men and women of all ages who comprise this admirable group.

The PA Governor’s Conference for Women featured the likes of Judge Marjorie Rendell, Sally Wiggin, Dr. Mae Jemison, Kelly Corrigan, Tory Johnson, Jessica Herrin, Sheryl WuDunn, Katherine Center, Nikki Johnson-Huston, Leigh Hurst, and more. Some takeaways from the event? Be empowered. Be confident. Don’t give up on dreams. Make the most of your life. We have infinite possibilities, as women. We must take care of ourselves before we can care for others. Be RESILIENT! Network. Be intuitive. Be you!

There were some moments that were SO quotable, I can’t help but share. After all, this was a TRULY inspiring event.

Some gems:

Sally Wiggin said, “The only way to make the most of this precious life is to discover what you want, and go get it.” Author Katherine Center of “Get Lucky” said, “We draw wisdom from stories, and we draw resilience from wisdom” also stating that, “there is no tenderness without bravery.”

Dr. Mae Jemison – the first-ever woman of color to go into space – said, “Time is limited but has INFINITE possibilities….It’s what you DO with that time that matters.” She also said that most people are either “intuitive” or “analytical” but some (like herself, and, like myself!) are BOTH. Like myself, she believes that arts and sciences are not opposites, and that creativity comes from our attempts to understand and express ourselves. Said Jemison, “A choice is not something that people give us – it is something that NO ONE can take away. We get to create the future.”

New York Times Best Selling author, Kelly Corrigan, had this wisdom to share about achieving one’s dreams: “You have to admit that you want something. You then have to recognize your own prejudices of who can do what. You must forget the world of ‘probability’ so you don’t think about how long the shots are and how far the goals can seem. You must remember that not everyone has imagination enough to understand your vision or idea, so be careful who you tell. When trying to accomplish a tough feat, try to attempt just one task per day: no matter how big or small. It’ll become a habit. Be comfortable with failure. Do things because things need doing, and other people can’t do them. Good work makes us feel lucky to be here, doing the things we are meant to do. Do it.”

An inspiring workshop that I attended at the Conference was the “Reinventing Your Life” session. OneYearOfFirsts.com’s LuAnn was the moderator and strove to encourage women to, “get un-stuck!” The panel included Joyce Bender, Nikki Huston, and Leigh Hurst – all inspiring women.

Joyce Bender of Bender Consulting said, “In your life, something will happen to you that is bad. However, what makes the difference is how you respond do it.” She also encouraged the audience to “get back your muchness!”

Nikki Johnson Huston – once homeless and now the 1st person at Temple to graduate with a law degree, an MBA, and a Master’s degree in taxes – said to always remember to, “Take risks. Trust yourself. You’re FABULOUS: the rest of the world just doesn’t know it yet.”

Founder of The Feel Your Boobies Foundation, Leigh Hurst (a breast cancer survivor) encouraged women by saying that we all should remember that NOTHING is impossible! Some nuggets that these women offered?

“Take risks! Trust yourself!”

“Listen to your internal voice.”

“Get to the place where you stop TALKING about it and JUST DO IT!”

“Put your dream down on paper.”

“You have to listen to you.”

“Be honest with yourself!”

“Stop making excuses for yourself, and stop making excuses for EVERYONE ELSE!”

“Don’t rely on others for the right answers.”

“Gauge your own internal instincts. Listen to them. Always.”

“Open yousrelf up to new opportunities.”

“Want to be a CEO? Think like a CEO. Want to be a lawyer? Think like a lawyer. Want to be an author? Think like one.”

More sessions followed, including an appearance by Dan Onorato and by Mrs. Corbett, Judge Marjorie Rendell, and co-author of “Half the Sky” (featured on the Oprah show!) as well as Tory Johnson from ABC’s Good Morning America. The day capped off with a resume workshop and career-fair networking opportunity.

All of these October events were fabulous in their own unique ways. (And who can forget, “Hide Yo’ Kids, Hide Yo’ Wives” Antoine Dodson on the 96.1 KISS fm Trannies and Grannies Halloween party on the Gateway Clipper?)

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered; forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives: Be kind anyway. What you spend years creating others could destroy overnight: Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it may never be enough: Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God: it was never between you and them anyway.”

“Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant.”

“Give a girl the right pair of shoes, and she can conquer the world!” – Marilyn Monroe

*~ “The essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love & something to hope for” ~*
“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.”

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone” – Audrey Hepburn